Our Father
by Miss Cow
Summary: Featherpaw, Sunpaw, and Graypaw think they know everything about their family, but they don't. On top of that, Graypaw keeps seeing a silver light fall from Sky Oak, and he doesn't know why . . . full summery inside.
1. Prologue

**Okay, I just wrote this off the top of my head, so it's not very good, but ah well.**

**EDIT: I just changed it to third person, and the second part to Lionblaze's POV.  
**

**Disclaimer: Am I even three people?

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**Featherpaw, Sunpaw, and Graypaw think they know everything about their family, but they don't. On top of that, Graypaw keeps seeing a silver light fall from Sky Oak, and he doesn't know why. Sunpaw has begun to see things that even Starclan cannot foretell. Meanwhile, Featherpaw, the only seemingly normal cat, falls hard in an unrequited love for Bumblepaw, but little does she know that she's the least normal of them all.

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**C I N D E R H E A R T ' S **

**P O V  
**

"Who's the father?" Questions like this had pestered Cinderheart since the day she'd moved into the nursery, and she always had improv her way out. She couldn't let the father be known. He would be sent to shame. But Cinderheart hated it most when the other cats would just assume.

"Is it Berrynose?" Icepaw asked one day. "You can just see how he moons over you, Cinderheart!" Honeyfern glared at Icepaw's thought.

"_Berrynose_ would _never_ have kits with _her_! Er, no offense." Cinderheart let out a snort, and Honeyfern blushed slightly, giving her light tabby fur a brighter color.

"Non taken. I wouldn't mate with him if my life depended on it." Honeyfern gave her a triumphant look.

"Good. Anyways, Mousewhisker is obviously in love with you. It must be him!" Cinderheart just shook her head once again, and Sandstorm padded over.

"Honestly you two," the pale gingers she-cat mewed knowingly. "We all know that Lionblaze is the father. Isn't that right, Cinderheart?"

Cinderheart gasped, appalled at Sandstorm's words. "_What_?" _Lionblaze?!_ She'd never even thought of him in that way before. Since when had they'd ever spent time together? Well they'd been on a lot of hunting patrols together recently . . . but that didn't mean anything. Sandstorm looked at her for a moment.

"You haven't told him yet? No wonder he's been a wreck; he must think you've mated with another tom." Sandstorm waited for her to answer, but Cinderheart just stood speechless. "I could tell him myself if you want," she pressed.

"No, no!" Her voice was leveled to a hoarse whisper, broken. "I – I'll tell him." The three she-cats stared at her with a congratulatory glance, and headed off to spread the word. Cinderheart had to get to Lionblaze before he found out from some other she-cat. If he were to deny it, her cover would be ruined. Cinderheart searched around the camp, looking for him. She found him sharing tongues with his sister, Hollyleaf, and Cinderheart decided to break the news – but not before shooing Hollyleaf away.

"Lionblaze," Cinderheart's voice cracked. "As you know, I'm pregnant," he gave the pale gray tabby a skeptical look, unsure of where this was going, "and for some reason everyone thinks that you're the father."

"_What_?" He let out a shocked snort, his golden fur bristling. In spite of everything, Cinderheart's eyes glowed in a humorless laugh.

"That's what I said," She stared at Lionblaze carefully, as she was beginning to shift her paws anxiously, "but . . . I need you to act as their father." His jaw fell open, and Cinderheart knew that if she didn't act quickly, the answer would be an absolute _no_. "You don't have to act all lovey-dovey," she whispered quickly. "Just visit every once and a while, and treat them as your own. Then we can just pretend that we've broken up, and it'll all be done with."

His mouth shut, seeming to understand. "Forbidden love?" he asked, empathy showing in his eyes. Cinderheart nodded slowly. "I'll do it. I won't ask who the father is, but just remember – secrets don't stay secrets forever." Cinderheart thanked him, and trudged back to the nursery, where she was swarmed with questions from Rosekit and Blossomkit.

**L I O N B L A Z E ' S**

**P O V  
**

If any cat ever said that kitting was painless, they were obviously wrong. Lionblaze was at Cinderheart's side as Jayfeather continually told her to push. He saw the first kit come out, and he could see the pressure in her body become slightly relieved, though it wasn't over yet. As Lionblaze began to lick the kit's fur backwards to keep it warm, the second one came. Millie took this one as a third and final kit left Cinderheart's body. Jayfeather licked this one, and Lionblaze gazed uncomfortably around the nursery. Would these kits grow up with the lie that he and his siblings had been forced to bear?

Glancing at the three kits, Lionblaze saw Cinderheart gasped at their smallness, probably thinking about how pretty they were. Lionblaze had been licking a gray tabby she-cat with sharp blue eyes, but she must have looked more like her father, seeing as her face was nothing like Cinderheart's. "Featherkit," she said, naming the kit. The small gray kit gave a mew in reply, and Cinderheart moved on to the next one. Millie fiercly licked a golden tabby tom with blue eyes, which she then named Sunkit. The last was a plain gray tom with blue eyes, was named Graykit.

Ferncloud purred at the new litter of Thunderclan's future. "Featherkit looks just like Jayfeather," she mewed in amusement, "but Lionblaze still managed to pass on his gold fur to Sunkit." Lionblaze and Jayfeather exchanged a short glance, and then looked away. It was obvious that Cinderheart had mated with a tom related to them. Lionblaze tried to name all of his kin in Windclan, as it had to be one of them. "And Graykit . . . now he's Cinderheart without the markings!" Lionblaze's fake-mate purred at her kits as Ferncloud said this, and he finally saw the kits in a new light. _My kits,_ he thought. They may not really have been his, but they were his kin, and they were beautiful.

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**Review, please! And this is not a LionXCinder. The only reason why I put that as the characters is because they are the acting parents.  
**


	2. Allegiances

**T H U N D E R C L A N**

**LEADER: **Firestar-_ginger tom with a flame colored pelt and green eyes_

**DEPUTY:**Brambleclaw-_dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes_

**MEDICINE CAT:** Jayfeather-_gray tabby tom with blue eyes_

**WARRIORS**

Graystripe-_long haired gray tom with a dark stripe and yellow eyes  
_

Dustpelt-_dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes_

**Apprentice, Graypaw**

Sandstorm-_pale ginger she-cat with green eyes  
_

Brackenfur-_golden brown tabby tom  
_

Sorreltail-_tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes  
_

Cloudtail-_white tom with blue eyes_

**Apprentice, Sunpaw**

Brightheart_-ginger and white she-cat with green eyes  
_

Thornclaw-_golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes_

**Apprentice, Briarpaw**

Squirrelflight-_dark ginger she-cat with green eyes  
_

Leafpool-_light brown and white tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
_

Spiderleg-_black tom with a brown underbelly and amber eyes  
_

Birchfall-_light brown tabby tom with dark amber eyes_

**Apprentice, Featherpaw**

Berrynose-_creamy brown tom with amber eyes  
_

Hazeltail-_small gray and white she-cat with blue eyes_

**Apprentice, Blossompaw**

Mousewhisker-_gray and white tom with green eyes_

**Apprentice, Bumblepaw**

Cinderheart-_light gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
_

Lionblaze-_golden brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
_

Foxleap-_reddish brown tabby tom with green eyes  
_

Icecloud-_white she-cat with blue eyes  
_

Toadstep-_black and white tom  
_

Rosepetal-_dark cream she-cat  
_

**APPRENTICES**

Briarpaw-_dark brown she-cat  
_

Bumblepaw-_pale gray tom with black stripes  
_

Blossompaw-_tortoiseshell and white she-cat with green eyes_

Featherpaw-_gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes  
_

Sunpaw-_golden tabby tom with blue eyes  
_

Graypaw-_light gray tom with blue eyes_

**QUEENS**

Ferncloud-_pale gray she-cat with darker flecks and pale green eyes (expecting Dustpelt's kits)  
_

Daisy-_long furred creamy brown she-cat with blue eyes  
_

Whitewing-_white she-cat with green eyes, mother of Birchfall's kits: Dovekit (gray she-cat with brilliant pale golden eyes) and Ivykit (gray tabby and white she-cat with dark blue eyes)  
_

Poppyfrost-_tortoiseshell and white she-cat with blue eyes (expecting Berrynose's kits)  
_

**ELDERS**

Longtail-_pale tabby tom with black stripes and light blue eyes  
_

Mousefur-_small dusky brown she-cat with pale yellow eyes  
_

Purdy-_brown tabby tom with amber eyes_

**S H A D O W C L A N**

**LEADER: **Blackstar-_large white tom with huge jet-black paws_

**DEPUTY:** Russetfur-_dark ginger she-cat with green eyes_

**MEDICINE CAT:** Littlecloud-_small light brown tabby tom with light blue eyes_

**Apprentice, Flametail** (bright ginger red tom with light green eyes)

**WARRIORS**

Oakfur-_small brown tom_

**Apprentice, Ferretpaw** (cream and gray tom)

Rowanclaw-_ginger tom  
_

Smokefoot-_black tom  
_

Toadfoot-_dark brown tom  
_

Applefur_-mottled brown she-cat  
_

Crowfrost-_black and white tom  
_

Ratscar_-brown tom_

**Apprentice, Pinepaw** (black she-cat)

Snowbird-_pure white she-cat with blue eyes  
_

Tawnypelt-_tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes_

**Apprentice, Starlingpaw** (ginger tom)

Olivenose-_tortoiseshell she-cat  
_

Owlclaw-_light brown tabby tom  
_

Shrewfoot-_gray she-cat with black feet  
_

Scorchfur-_dark gray tom  
_

Redwillow_-mottled brown and ginger tom  
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Tigerheart_-dark brown tabby tom  
_

Dawnpelt_-cream furred she-cat  
_

**QUEENS**

Kinkfur-_long furred tabby she-cat, mother of Toadfoot's kits: Brownkit (dark brown tabby tom), Yellowkit (gold tabby tom), and Darkkit (dark brown tom)  
_

Ivytail_-black, white, and tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mother of Oakfur's kits: Marshkit (small gray she-cat with green eyes) and Frogkit (small brown tom with green eyes)  
_

**ELDERS**

Tallpoppy_-long legged light brown tabby she-cat  
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Cedarheart_-dark gray tom  
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Snaketail-_dark brown tom with tabby striped tail  
_

Whitewater_-long furred white she-cat_

**W I N D C L A N**

**LEADER:** Onestar-_mottled brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and amber eyes  
_

**DEPUTY:** Ashfoot-_gray she-cat with clear blue eyes_

**MEDICINE CAT:** Kestrelflight-_mottled gray tom_

**WARRIORS**

Crowfeather-_dark gray tom with blue eyes  
_

Owlwhisker_-light brown tabby tom_

**Apprentice, Whiskerpaw** (light brown tom)

Whitetail_-small white she-cat  
_

Nightcloud-_black she-cat  
_

Gorsetail-_pale gray and white tom with blue eyes  
_

Weaselfur-_ginger tom with white paws  
_

Harespring-_brown and white tom  
_

Leaftail-_dark tabby tom with amber eyes  
_

Antpelt-_brown tom with one black ear  
_

Emberfoot-_gray tom with two dark paws_

**Apprentice, Furzepaw** (gray and white she-cat)

Breezepelt-_black tom with amber eyes_

**Apprentice, Boulderpaw** (large pale gray tom)

Sedgewhisker-_light brown tabby she-cat  
_

Swallowtail-_dark gray she-cat  
_

Sunstrike-_tortoiseshell she-cat_

**QUEENS**

Heathertail_-light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Breezepelt's kits: Moorkit (light brown tabby tom with amber eyes) and Bravekit (black tom with amber eyes)  
_

**ELDERS**

Tornear-_gray tabby tom  
_

Webfoot-_dark gray tabby tom_

**R I V E R C L A N**

**LEADER: **Leapardstar-_spotted golden tabby she-cat_

**DEPUTY:** Mistyfoot-_gray she-cat with blue eyes_

**MEDICINE CAT: **Mothwing-_dappled golden she-cat_

**Apprentice, Willowshine** (gray tabby she-cat)

**WARRIORS**

Reedwhisker-_black tom with blue eyes_

**Apprentice, Hollowpaw **(dark brown tabby tom)

Rippletail_-dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes  
_

Graymist_-pale gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes_

**Apprentice, Troutpaw** (pale gray tabby she-cat)

Mintfur_-light gray tabby tom  
_

Icewing_-white she-cat with blue eyes  
_

Minnowtail_-dark gray she-cat_

**Apprentice, Mossypaw** (brown and white she-cat)

Pebblefoot_-mottled gray tom_

**Apprentice, Rushpaw** (light brown tabby tom)

Mallownose_-light brown tabby tom  
_

Robinwing_-tortoiseshell and white tom  
_

Beetlewhisker_-brown and white tabby tom  
_

**QUEENS**

Duskfur_-brown tabby she-cat, expecting Mintfur's kits  
_

Mosspelt_-tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes, mother of Mallownose's kits: Shorekit (light brown tabby tom with blue eyes)  
_

**ELDERS**

Blackclaw_-smoky black tom  
_

Voletooth_-small brown tabby tom  
_

Dawnflower_-pale gray she-cat with dark blue eyes  
_

Dapplenose_-mottled gray she-cat  
_

Pouncetail_-ginger and white tom_

**C A T S O U T S I D E C L A N S**

Smoky_-gray and white tom  
_

Floss_-small gray and white she-cat_

**O T H E R A N I M A L S**

Midnight-_stargazing badger who lives by the sea_


	3. Chapter 1

**I hope you all had some happy holidays. Have a great new year, as well!**

**Disclaimer: *Sigh.* I'm already bored of this disclaimer thing. Why would I post this stuff on here if I could just sell it? Because I would if I were Erin Hunter.  
**

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**G R A Y P A W ' S**

**P O V  
**

Graypaw couldn't bear to leave the Sky Oak, for he was waiting for it. After not long of time, a small silver pelt flashed at the edge of his vision, and then it was gone. _It keeps falling,_ he thought. _Why?_

"Alright, Graypaw," a tom's voice rumbled. "What have you caught?" Graypaw looked back to his mentor, crestfallen.

"Nothing." Dustpelt sighed, annoyed at his apprentice's absent-mindedness. Even the young apprentice himself knew he'd be able to go on for weeks just staring into space . . . or mainly at that silver light. Instead of hanging his head in shame, Graypaw opened his ears in case of a noise from its return, but there was nothing.

"You know, Dustpelt," Graypaw said, his head having finally left the clouds. "I was thinking . . . when I'm a warrior, could you tell Firestar to name me something cool? Like Gray_talon_, or Gray_claw_?" Like any apprentice, he was eager to earn his warrior name. "Just as long as it's not Gray_fur_, 'cause that one's _boring_."

The brown tom gave his apprentice a glare. "You won't become a warrior anytime soon if you keep spacing out like you did just now." His hard amber gaze softened a bit. "Is everything alright? You never acted this way as a kit." Dustpelt would know, after all, as he had often visited Ferncloud in the nursery.

"Everything is fine," Graypaw said. "Just . . . stop worrying about me! You're treating me like a kit." A sly look crept upon Dustpelt's eyes.

"I'll stop treating you like a kit, when you start acting your age." Graypaw sighed. "Deal?"

"Okay," the gray tom miserably replied. Dustpelt just didn't understand. Graypaw was the one with the visions of the silver light, not him! He scented the air around him, hoping to detect a stray squirrel, but there was nothing. "I don't smell anything, Dustpelt. It's too hot to concentrate on anything." A thought struck him. What if the silver was just an illusion? They did tend to happen often if one happened to stay in the heat too long. Graypaw made a mental note to go see Jayfeather about it later.

"That's no excuse," Dustpelt sniffed the air himself, wavering a bit in disappointment, "but you're right. I can't smell anything at all."

"Then can we head back to camp?" Graypaw asked hopefully. "I was going to hang out with Rosepetal later . . . "

"We can," Graypaw's ears pricked up in excitement, "_after_ we do some more battle training. We should be doing something productive in this time of no prey." He let his ears droop slightly. Graypaw already knew all the moves Dustpelt had taught him, so why did he have to learn them again? "I hear that Featherpaw and Bumblepaw are training, as well," Dustpelt continued, probably hoping Graypaw's mood would perk up with this news. "I'm sure they would love for us to join them."

"Not really." It was common knowledge among Graypaw and his brother, Sunpaw, that their sister, Featherpaw, was head-over-heels in love with Bumblepaw. As long as he was there to moon over, she'd pay no attention to any other cat. Bumblepaw, of course, was completely oblivious to this, spending more time in the nursery playing with Dovekit and Ivykit, rather than merely noticing Featherpaw's existence, and that was saying something. Bumblepaw was hardly _ever_ in the nursery. Dustpelt gave the tom a stern look, and Graypaw gave in. "Fine. Let's go."

By the time the two had gotten to the clearing, Featherpaw, Bumblepaw, and their mentors were getting ready to head back. ("I just don't understand," Birchfall was telling Mousewhisker. "She just can never concentrate when your apprentice is around.") As predicted, Featherpaw had failed yet another session of battle training while mooning over Bumblepaw.

"Why do you like him, anyways?" Graypaw whispered to her, so the others wouldn't hear. "What's so special about him?"

"He's like a shining star. Can't you see him glowing?" As far as Graypaw could tell, Bumblepaw was his normal dull gray self, but for some reason, Featherpaw kept insisting it was somehow shiny. _Then again, you do see silver pelts flash around at Sky Oak_. Maybe the two had inherited some sort of crazy genes from their parents, Cinderheart and Lionblaze, though it didn't seem likely, seeing as they were both trusted and noble warriors of Thunderclan. If _Ferncloud_ had been their mother . . . well, let's just say that any cat who'd stayed in the nursery as long as Ferncloud had was bound to be insane.

"Yeah," he said. "Sure."

Dustpelt padded forward towards Birchfall. "Do you mind if we join you?"

"Not at all. We were just leaving, but . . . " The brown tabby glanced at Featherpaw with anxious amber eyes. "We could stay longer." The four cats said their good-byes to Mousewhisker and Bumblepaw, and almost immediately, Featherpaw snapped out of her daze.

"So, Graypaw," Featherpaw said. "Did you catch any prey? I heard that you'd been hunting."

"No." It was Dustpelt who had spoken. "The heat has sent away all the prey back into their dens, so we decided to do some battle training instead."

Graypaw nodded. "What Dustpelt said. He said that we should do something worthwhile while we're out."

"Okay. Let's fight!" Featherpaw let herself to a low crouch, and bared her teeth. Her claws were sheathed, but it didn't take away from the intensity of her mew. Graypaw got in the same position, and launched his first attack.

"Remember what I told you, Featherpaw," Birchfall was saying. "Aim for the throat." The tabby gray she-cat nodded slightly, giving no other sign she had acknowledged his instructions.

Just as Graypaw landed on Featherpaw's back, she rolled over and got on top of him. Graypaw kicked her off so as not to expose his soft belly to her claws (if this were a real battle,) and gave her a swipe to the muzzle. Featherpaw flinched at his agility, but jumped right back into the brawl. Hissing and spitting, the two apprentices fought until they were exhausted.

"I don't understand this apprentice," Birchfall yowled to Dustpelt. "First she's horrible, then she's great. How is that?" The other tom simply shrugged.

"Alright, you two," Dustpelt said to them after a while. "Let's head back." Graypaw and Featherpaw nodded their heads, and followed their mentors to Thunderclan camp. When they got there, Bumblepaw greeted the two, and Featherpaw shifted back to her usual dreamy state. Graypaw sighed at his sister. Could Bumblepaw really be that dashing?

"Hi, Graypaw!" he said, ignoring Featherpaw. "Guess what? I heard that Dovekit and Ivykit are going to become apprentices soon." Graypaw watched his sister, who appeared to be unfazed by Bumblepaw's rude behavior towards her.

"I wonder who their mentors will be," Graypaw wondered aloud.

"You know, Bumblepaw," Featherpaw said, finally plucking up the courage to talk to the tom. "You'd make a great leader."

"Erm, thanks?" The bee-patterned tom looked a bit confused at Featherpaw's random comment. He turned back to Graypaw. "And it kind of makes you start to wonder about what their warrior names will be, right?" Graypaw nodded.

"Dovenose for Dovekit," Graypaw decided, "and Ivyleaf for Ivykit."

"I've never thought of those names!" Bumblepaw replied, his eyes glimmering in amusement. "I was going for Dovepelt and Ivyfur."

Just as he said this, the three heard Firestars call, "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!" The clan gathered, and Graypaw could see Dovekit and Ivykit licking themselves excitedly. "I've called you together for one of the most important moments in the life of a clan,. Dovekit and Ivykit have reached their sixth moon, and it's time for them to become apprentices." The large ginger tom beckoned them forward with his tail. "Come forward," he mewed.

"Dovekit," Firestar announced, "from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Dovepaw." The clan chanted the new apprentice's name. "Starclan, I ask you to guide this new apprentice. Set her paws on the path she must follow to become a warrior." Graypaw watched as the leader called for her mentor. "Lionblaze. You will be mentor to Dovepaw. You are a loyal warrior and your battle skills are outstanding. I know that you will pass these qualities on to Dovepaw."

"Ivykit," he continued, "from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Ivypaw. May Starclan watch over you and guide you in your journey to become a warrior." Firestar gazed over to Cinderheart. (_That's my mother!_ Graypaw thought excitedly.) "Cinderheart, you have shown courage and endurance in your apprenticeship, and I trust now that you will teach Ivypaw to follow in your path."

Graypaw and his clanmates all repeated their names. "Dovepaw! Ivypaw!" He was excited at first, but then began to realize what had happened. _There are no more kits in the nursery,_ he wondered wildly. _Poppyfrost and Ferncloud will have to get a move on, then._ The new apprentices left to search the borders, while Graypaw went inside to his nest to catch up with some sleep.

That night, he dreamed of the silver light.

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**Review. Review. Review. Sorry for saying it three times. I just had to.**


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